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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24665581">Force of Habit</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kallonimo/pseuds/Kallonimo'>Kallonimo</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Shakarian Quarantine Project [25]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Mass Effect Trilogy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M, no beta we die like jenkins, prompt, very short</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 05:08:24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>387</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24665581</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kallonimo/pseuds/Kallonimo</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>"Before they go out on to the collector base however she presses another kiss to the side of his face and this one goes significantly smoother. </p><p>So she keeps doing it. "</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Female Shepard/Garrus Vakarian</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Shakarian Quarantine Project [25]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1751218</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>51</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Force of Habit</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Prompt Category: Kisses<br/>Prompt: Routine kisses where the other person presents their cheeck/forehead for the hello/goodbye kiss without even looking up from what they’re doing</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Their first kiss is confusing, awkward. Garrus doesn’t really know what he is doing and Shepard is struggling with the...lack of lips.  Before they go out on to the collector base however she presses another kiss to the side of his face and this one goes significantly smoother. </p><p>So she keeps doing it. </p><p>-</p><p>“I really don’t like this, Shepard.”</p><p>“Believe me, me neither.” </p><p>They have been trying to say goodbye to each other for several minutes now and they are failing miserably. Shepard finally forces herself to softly push Garrus out of the Normandy onto Palavan, but not before kissing the scared side of his face.</p><p>“I promise I won’t forget you.”</p><p>He chuckles. “Oh that is the least of my worries.”</p><p>Shepard can’t help but smile at that.</p><p>-</p><p>Their reunion on Menae is hasty, pretty much in the middle of battle, but somehow Shepard still manages to kiss Garrus’ cheek in the middle of it. Vega shoots them a confused look, but she really couldn’t care less.</p><p>-</p><p>After some time it turns into a habit. </p><p>Every time they leave the shuttle for a ground mission Shepard quickly kisses Garrus on the cheek. The rest of the crew get used to it quickly, most of them never even comment on it in the first place.</p><p>Garrus always replies with a pleased little hum that makes Shepard grin. He starts expecting it too, leaning down right before she is about to kiss him. It’s a perfectly coordinated little ritual between the two of them. A testimony not only to their love but also their teamwork. </p><p>-</p><p>Shepard asks herself, as she is standing up there on the Citadel knowing she is about to die, when she last kissed Garrus. </p><p>She didn’t manage it as she was pushing him into the Normandy to be evacuated. Everything happened so fast. At least she managed to tell him she loves him. I love you. I always will.</p><p>No, the last kiss she gave him was right before they started making their way toward the beam. A routine kiss to the cheek. He leaned down and she kissed him without even thinking about it. </p><p>Shepard doesn’t know how to feel about it, but the memory of that last kiss is what lingers in her mind as the Crucible rips her body apart.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thank you for reading :)</p></blockquote></div></div>
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